Vaccination Updates
News Releases
View our 2020 news releases and 2021 news releases on our News website.
Archived Vaccination Updates
04/28 | 04/21 | 04/19 | 04/14 | 04/08 | 04/05
03/30 | 03/18 | 03/15 | 03/10 | 03/08 | 03/01
02/23 | 02/22 | 02/18 | 02/16 | 02/10 | 02/08 | 02/04 | 02/03 | 02/02
Latest Vaccination Update
05/04/21 Update
Getting COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of Alabamians as quickly as possible is our goal. ADPH is conducting clinics daily, including drive-through clinics in some counties.
COVID-19 Cases—528,784
COVID-19 Deaths—10,913
COVID-19 Hospitalizations (as of May 3)—49,008
Currently eligible for vaccine—everyone 16 years of age and older*
Average 1st Doses of Vaccine Shipped to Alabama Per Week—120,000-130,000
Vaccine Doses Administered—2,580,086
Vaccine Doses Delivered to Alabama—3,947,595
Alabama Healthcare Providers Enrolled—1,364
ADPH Encourages Age-Appropriate Groups to Get COVID-19 Vaccine
ADPH continues to encourage persons in the age-appropriate groups to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mitigation guidance to reduce the risk of this severe and deadly virus. All Alabamians need to continue to take personal responsibility to understand the benefits of vaccine to their own health and their need to practice efforts to reduce contracting this illness.
FEMA Community Vaccination Center CLOSED TODAY
The drive-through FEMA Community Vaccination Center located at Watermark Place (4500 Katies Way) in Bessemer is closed today due to weather concerns. Appointments will be rescheduled, and the vaccination site plans to resume operations on Wednesday, May 5. Appointments can be made on the web scheduler located at https://myturn.timetap.com.
Governor Announces May 31 End to Safer Apart Order
Governor Kay Ivey announced that Alabama’s COVID-19 public health order will end Monday, May 31, 2021, and the state of emergency will end Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Governor Ivey announced that the current Safer Apart order consists primarily of recommendations aligned with CDC guidance. However, specific guidance applies to two groups. Senior Citizen Centers must continue to follow guidelines issued by the Alabama Department of Senior Services. Hospitals and nursing homes must follow current guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with respect to visitation. Barring a great spike in COVID-19 cases, these last remaining requirements should be lifted with the expiration of this order on May 31. Governor Ivey continues to encourage Alabamians to get the safe and effective vaccine.
Due to Notifiable Disease Rules, Isolation and Quarantine Timeframes Remain After Order Ends
Exceptions Include Fully Vaccinated Individuals
COVID-19 patients and close contacts will continue to follow isolation and quarantine measures to protect the public's health, as this virus remains a notifiable condition in Alabama. Many Alabama schools have resumed face-to-face classes and some people incorrectly believe that isolation and quarantine requirements for COVID-19 have ended. However, these protections are still needed. Isolation separates non-healthcare personnel with COVID-19 from people who are not sick. Quarantine separates non-ill persons exposed to an infectious disease to determine if they may become sick. People with COVID-19 and their symptomatic close contacts must be isolated for at least 10 days after symptoms first appeared, at least 24 hours since fever ended without the use of fever-reducing medications, and other symptoms have improved.
Fully vaccinated people are exempted from isolation and quarantine. Fully vaccinated people are those who are 2 weeks or more past their second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna vaccines), or 2 weeks or more after receiving the single-dose (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. Exceptions are also made for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 3 months and recovered, so long as they do not experience symptoms. Isolation and quarantine timeframes may be viewed as follows:
English: www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19/assets/cov-timeframes-isolation-quarantine.pdf
Spanish: www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19/assets/cov-timeframes-isolation-quarantine_sp.pdf
New Vaccine Website Now Available - www.vaccines.gov
A federally supported website that makes it easier for individuals to access COVID-19 vaccine is now live. Vaccines.gov – powered by VaccineFinder – is available in English and Spanish, with high accessibility standard, and will help connect persons with locations offering vaccines near them. In addition to the website, a text messaging service is also available. People can text their Zip Code to 438829 (GETVAX) and 822862 (VACUNA) to find three locations nearby that have vaccines available.
Healthcare Providers Urged to Strongly Recommend COVID-19 Vaccine
ADPH is asking all healthcare providers in the state to strongly recommend all age-eligible patients take COVID-19 vaccine. Healthcare professionals are often the most trusted source of information on vaccines for their patients in making informed decisions about getting a COVID-19 vaccination and taking actions that enable them to move back to normal activities. The CDC has provided information for providers on how to talk to patients about COVID-19 vaccination, available here www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/hcp/engaging-patients.html
FDA Anticipated to Authorize COVID-19 Vaccine for Adolescents Age 12 to 15 Soon
ADPH anticipates the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents 12 to 15 years of age soon. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is likely to meet soon after the authorization to review clinical trial data and make recommendations for the vaccine’s use in adolescents. APDH will provide additional information as it is made available.
ADPH Still Encourages Use of Facial Coverings
Masks or other facial coverings are no longer a mandate under the Safer Apart order. ADPH still encourages the use of facial coverings, and reminds everyone that masks remain one of the most successful tools to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Many businesses and healthcare facilities continue to require facial coverings in their facilities.
*People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. This CDC guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 before getting their second dose of vaccine.
Page last updated: May 4, 2021
